Punjab government abolishes 31 deputy secretary posts across 20 departments

The Punjab government has extended its ongoing austerity campaign to the provincial bureaucracy, announcing the abolition of 31 Deputy

LAHORE: The Punjab government has extended its ongoing austerity campaign to the provincial bureaucracy, announcing the abolition of 31 Deputy Secretary posts across 20 provincial departments as part of measures aimed at reducing administrative expenditure and streamlining the government structure.

The decision was communicated through a notification issued by the Services & General Administration Department (S&GAD) through its General Wing. The move is part of the provincial government’s broader cost-cutting programme, under which authorities are reviewing government posts and seeking to reduce positions considered unnecessary or redundant.

The latest decision specifically targets Deputy Secretary-level positions in a number of provincial departments. Officials said the measure is intended to help reduce the administrative and financial burden on the provincial exchequer while making the government’s structure more efficient.

Major Departments Affected

Several important provincial departments have been included in the latest round of restructuring.

The Home Department, Punjab, will see the abolition of four Deputy Secretary posts, while three such positions in the Higher Education Department, Lahore, have also been removed.

Similarly, the government has abolished one Deputy Secretary Generalpost in the Irrigation Department. One Deputy Secretary position each has also been abolished in the Forest & Wildlife Department, Lahore, and the Housing Department, Lahore.

The notification covers a total of 31 Deputy Secretary positions spread across 20 provincial departments.

Officials said the decision follows an earlier exercise in which the government abolished thousands of posts at the district level. With the latest move, the austerity drive has now reached higher administrative tiers of the provincial government.

Supporting Staff Posts Also Affected

The restructuring will not be limited to Deputy Secretary positions. Sources familiar with the development said the abolition of these posts will also result in the elimination of more than 150 supporting staff positionsattached to the affected offices.

These positions include Personal Assistants, clerical staff and Class-IV employees working under the abolished posts.

The reduction in supporting positions is expected to further lower administrative expenditure. However, authorities have also planned adjustments for employees whose posts are being removed.

Officers to Be Re-deployed

According to the notification, officers currently holding the abolished Deputy Secretary positions will not simply be removed from government service. Instead, they will be re-deployed to field assignments in different parts of Punjab.

The affected officers may be posted to positions including Additional Assistant Commissioners (AACs)and Additional Deputy Commissioners (Revenue), depending on administrative requirements.

The move is intended to make use of the existing workforce by shifting officers from positions being eliminated at the provincial secretariat to field-based assignments.

Meanwhile, the supporting staff associated with the abolished positions will be adjusted against existing vacancies in other government departments, according to the notification and officials familiar with the restructuring plan.

Part of Wider Austerity Drive

The latest decision is part of the Punjab government’s wider efforts to reorganize the provincial administration and control government expenditure.

Officials have described the restructuring as an attempt to eliminate non-essential posts, reduce duplication of responsibilities and improve administrative efficiency.

The government is expected to continue reviewing the structure of provincial departments as part of its cost-saving measures. Further changes in government posts and administrative arrangements could follow as authorities assess staffing requirements across different departments.

The abolition of the 31 Deputy Secretary positions marks another significant step in the Punjab government’s ongoing austerity campaign, bringing senior bureaucratic posts under the scope of its efforts to reduce the size and financial burden of the provincial administration.